Merchandise-display holder



cw. WYKESE MERCHANDISE DESPLAY HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. 1919.

1,365,437. Patented Jan. 11, 1921 merchandise from within the case.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE IE. WYKES, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO LOUDON MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,671.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLAUDE P. WYKEs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Merchandise-Display Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to display supports for merchandise containers, particularly cigar boxes.

In show cases of the character shown in Reissue Patent No. 14,571, issued to Fred London, December 17, 1918, it is designed that access to the case shall be from the front, various sections of the front of the showcase being lowered by the clerk or merchant from behind the case to permit the customer to remove the desired articlesrfif e present invention is concerned chiefly with a particularly simple and efiicient device on which cigar boxes may be mounted in alinement, with the lids of the boxes held open and in vertical position and in the same plane with each other, and with the upper edges of the boxes all in the same plane. This insures that, irrespective of the depths of the boxes, and whether a box contains twenty-five, fifty, one hundred or two hundred cigars, from in front all of the boxes at the upper sides shall be in the same plane, this giving a much'better trim and appearanceto the case and displaylng the cigars in'much better form. In the London patent to which reference has been made, a means is shown for adjusting the boxes to different positions but this means is expensive to manufacture and is not'fully capable of placing all of the boxes with their open lids in perfect alinement as in the present invention.

,For an understanding of the invention and the construction which embodies the same, reference may be had to the following parts in the different views of the drawing The support for the boxes comprises a bar, preferably of wood though not necessarily so, and having upper and lower portions 2 and 1, the lower portion being thicker than the upper portion so that a horizontal narrow ledge 3 is made at the juncture of the two parts and at the front of the bar as shown. This bar is disposed lengthwise of a showcase and may be secured. therein in any preferred manner, either permanently or in such manner that it may be adjusted up and down todiflerent positions.

On the front side ofthe bar a plurality of attaching clips are secured. I have shown but one of these clips as a showing of one is I suflicient for all, all of the clips being. of

identical construction. Each clip ismade from fiat metal and comprises a lower portion 4 which is embedded in the thicker part 1 of the supporting bar and is secured thereto by a screw 5 with its outer side flush with the front side of the lower part 1 of the supporting bar. The clip extends above. the ledge 3, being slightly curved to the rear as indicated at 6 and thence outwardly terminating at its upper end in a sharpened edge '7. These clips are attached along the length of the bar in spaced apart relation a distance apart equal substantially to the length of a cigar box. The cigar box 8 is of usual construction having a lid 9 hingedly connected to the back 11 as shown. To secure the box on the bar it is merely necessary to lift the lid and place the box within the case in such position that the sharpened up per edge '7 of one of the attaching clips will press against a point between the ends of the lid and where it is hingedly joined to the back of the box. The exertion of pressure will cause the sharpened edge to cut through between the lid and the back of the box, it being well known that the hinge connection of the lid to the box is made by gluing or otherwise attaching paper or cloth along the meeting edges of the lid and the back of the box. The upper portion of the clip above the ledge 3 thereupon passes through the opening, such as 10, cut by the sharpened upper edge of the clip and the box moves downwardly 'until the lower edge of the lid bears against the ledge 3 of the bar, while the back 11 of the box rests against the front side of the lower portion 1 of the bar. The curved portion 6 of the clip exerts spring pressure against the lid 9 and holds it in upright position against the upper part2 of the supporting bar.

It is obvious that a number of cigar boxes may be placed in the length of the supporting bar side by side with their lids in the same vertical plane and with the upper edges of the boxes in the same horizontal plane. The boxes may be attached very quickly and rapidly and without the necessity of exercising any particular skill in the process. If it is desired that the'clips pass between the lid and the back of the box at any particular point .such, for instance, as midway between the ends of the lid, it is advisable to first cut through between the lid and the back of the box at the point where it is desired the clip shall pass, and when the box is applied to the clip it will naturally pass most easily through at such point.

While I have shown the bar with vertical front sides and a horizontal ledge 3, it is, of course, obvious that the front sides of the parts 1 and 2 of the bar may be located in different planes so that the box, instead of being positioned horizontal, may be inclined downwardly at any angle to the front. This would be of value in displaying in a store window. The invention is not limited in its application to show cases nor to the display of cigars but may be used in many relations. The construction is very simple, economical to make, durable and is particularly effective for the attainment of the ends desired.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a support provided with a ledge at the front side thereof and between its upper and lower edges, and means attached to the support at the front side thereof and projecting a dis tance above the ledge, said means being adapted to hold a box lid between it and the support with the lid resting on the ledge,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. Means for holding boxes comprising a support having a horizontal ledge extending lengthwise thereof, and devices attached to the support below the ledge and extending a distance above the ledge, said devices being adapted to pass through between a lid and a side of the box to which the lid is hingedly connected and thereby hold the lid against the support above the ledge with the lower edge of the lid resting on the ledge and with said side of the box bearing against the support below the ledge, substantially as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising a bar having upper and lower portions with the front of the lower portion positioned a distance in front of the front of the upper portion and with a ledge extending lengthwise of the support between said upper and lower portions, and a metal member attached to the lower portion of the support and extending above the ledge, the upper end of said member being sharpened, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. A device of the character described comprising a supporting bar formed with a horizontal ledge extending lengthwise thereof, and means attached to the front side of the supporting bar below the ledge and extending above the same transversely to the length of the bar for holding cigar boxes or the like against the bar, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, a horizontal supporting bar having a horizontal ledge formed on its front side, and a member of flat metal fixed to the bar below the ledge and extending a distance above the ledge, said member having its upper end sharpened to pass between a cigar box lid and the side of the box on which the lid is hingedly mounted, passing through at the hinged connection of the lid to the box, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described comprising a. support provided with a horizontal ledge, 21. member of flat metal attached to the support below the ledge and extending a distance above the same, said member above the ledge being curved to the rear and thence outwardly and reduced in size at its outer end, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, a support formed with a horizontal ledge between the upper and lower edges thereof,

and a member of spring material attached 8. A device of the character described comprising asupport provided with a horizontal ledge between its upper and lower edges, and a member attached to said sup- 5 port on the front side thereof below the ledge and extending a distance above the ledge, substantially as described.

9. A device of the character described comprising a support, and means for attaching a plurality of cigar boxes end to end 10 thereon with all of the lids of the boxes held open and in the same plane and with all of the upper sides of the boxes in the same plane, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 15

CLAUDE P. WYKES. 

